McKinney-based Morphic Development is pursuing the development of more than 100 single-family homes in north McKinney.

What happened: McKinney City Council members approved annexation and residential zoning for 29 acres of land during a Jan. 20 meeting. The land, located north of CR 124 and west of CR 161, could see development of up to 111 single-family lots, Morchic Development co-founder Sam Franklin said.

Homes are expected to range from 1,900 square feet to 3,200 square feet, he said. Meritage Homes is the proposed builder on the project, but that could change in the future, Franklin said.

More information: The land is being zoned as an R5 residential district, which allows for single-family home development, according to the city document. The district is meant to accommodate medium-density homes with a minimum lot size of 5,000 square feet, according to McKinney’s unified development code.

The land is surrounded by agricultural uses to the north, east and west. A single-family residential neighborhood is located to the south within McKinney’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, according to the city document.

Interested in news from businesses in the McKinney area? Check out 14 businesses now open, coming soon and other updates from the areas of central and East McKinney. This list is not comprehensive.

1. Champion’s Liquor and Wine: The store sells a variety of liquor, wine, beer, vape and tobacco products.

• Opened Dec. 19
• 3750 McKinney Ranch Parkway, Ste. 200, McKinney

• Opened Jan. 15
• 5895 Trinity Falls Parkway, Ste. 1, McKinney

Michael Talley, former senior vice president of the McKinney Economic Development Corp., has been named Plano’s new Director of Economic Development, according to a Jan. 27 city news release. 

What you need to know: Talley brings more than a decade of experience in economic development and business recruitment, according to the release. Talley will succeed Doug McDonald, who was recently promoted to Deputy City Manager overseeing Development Services departments, including economic development.

Career history: Talley joined McKinney’s EDC in January 2022, where he helped attract new businesses to the city and oversaw several high-value projects.
Prior to joining McKinney’s EDC, Talley served as Economic Development Director for Denton County, working with more than 40 communities on industrial and corporate development projects.

Looking ahead: Talley is set to begin his new position Feb. 16, the release states.

A new fire station in Flower Mound and industrial warehouse development in the Alliance area are among other projects recently filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Here are five of the most expensive permits filed with TDLR in the past week.

1. Industrial warehouse development

2. Westside Village Jewel Box Office

3. Fire Station No. 6 in Flower Mound

4. Fortezza

5. Concession stand renovations for Grady Littlejohn Softball and Baseball Complex

In the upcoming March 3 primary, voters will select the Republican candidate in the race for Texas governor. Eleven Republicans are seeking the nomination.

The overview: Republican incumbent Greg Abbott is seeking a fourth term in the governor's office. He is challenged by ten Republican candidates: R.F. "Bob" Achgill, Evelyn Brooks, Pete “Doc” Chambers, Charles Andrew Crouch, Arturo Espinosa, Mark V. Goloby, Kenneth Hyde, Stephen Samuelson, Ronnie Tullos and Nathaniel Welch.

Stay tuned: If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Republican primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters May 26.

The winning Republican candidate will face the winner of the Democratic nomination in November; the winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.

In the upcoming March 3 primary, voters will select the Democratic candidate in the race for Texas governor. Nine Democrats are seeking the nomination.

The big picture: Patricia Abrego, Chris Bell, Bobby Cole, Carlton Hart, Gina Hinojosa, Jose Navarro Balbuena, Faizan Syed, Zach Vance and Angela “Tia Angie” Villescaz will appear on the Democratic primary ballot for Texas governor.

Stay tuned: If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Democratic primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters May 26.

The winning Democratic candidate will face the Republican nominee in November, and the winner of that race will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.